Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Definitely a very, very pivotal year for me. My very first novel, Frostborn,was published in August. Then, in September, I took off the editor hat that I have worn for 14 years and exchanged it for that of a full time author. I went on my very first book tour, designed two more board games and a card game for the Thrones and Bones series, and wrote Nightborn, (and started plotting book 3).

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Another great review for Frostborn,this one at KateOnKidsBooks. Careful, though: the first paragraph is a very heavy spoiler for the entire book, start to finish. After that, however, Kate is both generous in her praise and insightful in her comments. She writes:

"Thanks to the popularity of the Percy Jackson books, mythology based fiction has exploded. Thrones and Bones is a natural 'what to read next' for Percy Jackson fans. Anders chooses to explore the world of the ancient Vikings. The book is true to its time and setting. I felt magically transported to this world; I could practically feel the cold air as I was reading. The characters were both well developed and distinctive. It was great having both a boy and a girl, making the book an accessible read for both. As more and more of America's children are multiracial, I love that Thianna is part giant/part human. She eventually embraces the gifts of both of her heritages and overcomes the prejudice hurled at her from an ignorant few. The game Thrones and Bones is somewhat of a cross between chess and Dungeons and Dragons and Anders offers the rules in the back of the book. The title of the series led me to believe the story would be a Game of Thrones rip-off for kids. It isn't, but I'm sure the series title was intentional to give the book some instant recognition. Vikings are brave, magical and very interesting. More readable for young people than Nancy Farmer's Sea of Trolls (my favorite Viking fantasy) this book will find an audience. This is not an easy read, but will be enjoyed by smart kids who enjoy mythological fantasy."

Monday, December 29, 2014

Last night and this morning, I very quickly breezed through Fate Accelerated, essentially a super condensed version of the Fate Core System from Evil Hat Productions.

It's a short book - 50 pages - that serves as a good introduction to Fate gaming concepts. I've read both this and (most of) the full Fate Core rules and I'm intrigued. Fate is a very loose and story-oriented system, in contrast to what this Old School Gamer is used to, but I think it would make for fast, fun play. This book itself is a little too short - I'd like more examples of the concepts at work, but then that's what the full Fate Core RPG manual is for.

Also, I really like Evil Hat's aesthetic. The product has a fun, pulp adventure, cinematic vibe to it that seems open and inviting and welcoming of newbies. I like that maybe as much or more than the promise of the system itself. But Fate is certainly a fresh approach to RPGs and worth checking out.

And with a lot of their products Pay What You Want on drivethrurpg.com, that's pretty easy to do.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

So, I've been sitting on some Frostborn-relatednews for a few weeks waiting on the signing of contracts

so that I can talk, but now it can be told.

The Thrones and Bones series is coming to Brazil!! That's right. Thanks to my agents at Barry Goldblatt Literary and Baror International, Brazilian Portuguese editions of the first three books in the Thrones and Bones series have been sold to Editora Pensamento-Cultrix Ltda. I'm very excited by this (and I can't wait to see the covers). Getting the contract and advance in the mail yesterday was a nice early Christmas present. Meanwhile, copy edits on Nightborn are done, and I'm plotting book three this week.

Previously, Russian language rights were sold to AST. So, look out world, I'm coming for you.

Monday, December 22, 2014

What a nice way to start the day. Aleksandra's Corner calls Frostborn"one of the best fantasy adventures I've read" and places it tied for first in their Top 10 of 2014: Best Books I've Read in 2014! list. Aleksandra says:

Frostborn is the first book in the Thrones & Bones series, and the fascinating debut novel of Lou Anders. Set in a magnificent viking-inspired world, filled with rich history & mythology, different countries, creatures & magic, featuring a half frost giantess as one of the MC's (brilliant character), Frostborn is one imaginative & addictive run-for-your-life adventure, that is full of awesomeness, danger, humour & fun, with amazing & magical world-building & writing style, so yes, one of the best fantasy adventures I've read!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Today is literary legend Michael Moorcock's 75th birthday. Mike is a towering influence on my life. It's been my privilege to edit him three times - once at short story length, once at novella, and once at novel. We've hung out a time or two, and I've even swung his famous black sword Stormbringer, chopping at imaginary demons while he stood watching me in a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in Bastrop, Texas. I've penned at least three appreciates of Mike over the years. This one, written a few years ago for Heliotrope Magazine, says it best. I'm posting it below, and wishing the man a very happy day.

Michael Moorcock is threaded throughout the entire fabric of my childhood universe. I remember bookstores devoting entire shelves to the various novels of his multiverse, works I devoured as fast as I could get my hands on them. It was a natural leap from the Barsoom and Africa of Edgar Rice Burroughs to the darker, stranger worlds of Elric of Melniboné and Prince Corum Jhaelen Irsei. It was a jump into a never-ending abyss I took eagerly, knowing that the fall would stretch my mind in ways more profound than the Warlord of Mars or the Lord of the Jungle ever could. His reconstruction of the classic fantasy battle of Good vs. Evil into Law vs. Chaos had profound effects on my pre-teenage mind, fundamentally altering how I would forever view everything from politics to religion, let alone adventure. Even as a child, I could see how far reaching his influence ran – spilling out of the pages of swords and sorcery novels into other forms in a manner we would now refer to as “multi-media.” For what is Gary Gygax’s Alignment Chart if not the plotting of Good/Evil, Law/Chaos on an XY axis? And yes, I still have that edition of Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes. And while I hadn’t heard much Hawkwind or the Deep Fix back then, I certainly knew Blue Öyster Cult. Moorcock was everywhere, a multiverse in his own right.

Sticking only to the subgenre he helped establish, that of swords & sorcery, Moorcock is a towering influence. By taking a teen-angst take on Conan the Barbarian, Moorcock created the quintessential +fantasy anti-hero, a non-human albino misfit, heir to the throne of a decadent and cruel society, who can only survive by stealing the life-force of others. After committing genocide against his own kind and massacring his demonic gods, Moorcock’s unlikely hero goes on to accidentally slay every friend and lover he ever has, his black sword Stormbringer hacking out a path straight to the pinnacle of fantasy-adventure stardom. In this regard alone, Moorcock’s influence on fantasy, on rock and roll, on video and roleplaying gaming was nothing short of profound. On gaming? Yes, because in promoting the smaller-stakes, more personal and grittier world of swords & sorcery, Moorcock was profoundly influential on Dungeons & Dragons, and through it, on first the RPG realm and then the entire world of third person computer and console gaming that grew out of it.

And for many a writer, this would be more than enough – more than they could honestly ever hope for indeed– but Moorcock isn’t just any writer. Because there is an entirely different side to the man. In 1988, his masterful Mother London was short-listed for the UK’s most prestigious literary award, the Whitbread Prize, alongside of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses and Bruce Chatwyn’s Utz. This is the Moorcock of Behold the Man, that brilliantly controversial take on messiah complexes, religious obsession, and the crucifixion. This is the Guardian Fiction Prize-winning Moorcock of The Condition of Muzak, The Brothel in Rosenstrasse, Gloriana, Byzantium Endures, The Laughter of Carthage, King of the City. This is the Moorcock that The Washington Post called “one of the most serious literary lights of our time.” And again, this on its own is certainly more success than most will ever see in their career.

But it was only as an adult, looking back at the history of our field, and reading Colin Greenland’s The Entropy Exhibition: Michael Moorcock and the British ‘New Wave’ in Science Fiction (Routledge & Keegan, 1983) and Michael Moorcock: Death is No Obstacle ( Savoy Books, 1992) that I came to understand in full the equally – if not more – profound effect that Moorcock-the-editor had, who, in his capacity as head of New Worlds magazine ( 1964-1973), was the chief architect of what was perhaps speculative fiction’s most important –some would say only true – literary movement. Moorcock pioneered the New Wave revolution that sought to blend the best of mainstream literary and science fiction technique in an atmosphere that encouraged a generation of writers to embrace the enthusiastic air of experimentation so prevalent in the 60s. Along with Brian Aldiss, J G Ballard, Harlan Ellison and others, he shepherded the movement that many see as ushering speculative fiction out of its adolescence into its adulthood. Though I didn’t know it at the time, my earliest introduction to science fiction’s prestigious classics of short fiction – works like Samuel Delaney’s “Aye, and Gomorrah” and Harlan Ellison’s “A Boy and His Dog” – those canonical masterpieces that are why I work in this genre today – wouldn’t have existed at all if not for Moorcock the editor’s influence. For someone who himself wrote so little actual science fiction, he has had a colossal effect on it. And that too, should be enough for any one lifetime….

Except that we must talk about his very real and pertinent contribution to theoretical physics. The term “multiverse” was created by pioneering American psychologist and philosopher William James (1842–1910), who also gave us the term “stream of consciousness,” though he intended it to describe different psychological states, with no application to the workings of the physical world. It was Michael Moorcock who, independently of James, conceived the term to describe a universe of near-infinite parallel worlds for a story called “The Sundered Worlds” (published in Science Fiction Adventures, December 1962). Moorcock’s use became the prevailing definition of the term, and has entered the popular consciousness to such a degree that it is now on the lip of every quantum physicist. In fact, this notion that our universe may be only one of a transfinite number of such realities, each only a few quantum decisions distance from its neighbor, is rapidly gaining credence as the most likely explanation for the peculiarities of quantum mechanics. As mind-boggling a concept as the multiverse is, Occam’s razor increasingly comes down in its favor. And we have Moorcock to thank for describing it first.

And perhaps, that, finally, is enough for one lifetime. Except that the man is far from done. It’s been my privilege to have worked with Michael several times now, most recently as editor of his collection, The Metatemporal Detective (Pyr, 2007), which maps his multiverse onto the world of Victorian consulting detectives, taking Elric of Melniboné back to his roots and inspirations, combining him with Sexton Blake adversary Monsieur Zenith the Albino. It’s one of my very favorite projects, something I am so proud to have worked on, but hardly the end of his output. With a biography of Mervyn Peake in the works, and a new Jerry Cornelius novel, as well as more Elric stories appearing, Michael Moorcock’s multiverse just grows and grows and grows. And with new editions of the Elric novels coming out, all lavishly illustrated, the bookseller’s shelves are starting to look again like I remember them. Like they always should in any corner of the multiverse worth living in.

“Heroes betray us,” Michael Moorcock writes in his wisdom. “By having them, in real life, we betray ourselves.” Powerful words, and I can only hope their author will forgive me then, if I use them as a springboard to say that he is mine, an author whose pen can only illuminate, never betray. Mike, you’re a towering figure in 20th and 21st century literature, my vote for the single most influential person in speculative fiction, a lynchpin that if removed in some horrendous time-travelling mishap would bring the whole edifice crashing down. It’s been my privilege to have been your editor a time or two, and to call you friend, but first and foremost, you’ll always be my hero.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Erik is the twelve year old behind This Kid Reviews Books. There have been a lot of great reviews of my novel Frostborn,but I especially like the ones that come from the kids themselves. This Kid gives me a 5 out of 5 and says:

"As a fan of Norse mythology, I am a huge fan of this book, and its Nordic-like setting and lore. The frost-giants are just plain cool. Literally. I like the fact that there is a tough (7′) female protagonist, along with a short boy who can’t even swing a sword. They were great opposites in characters. The Nordic legends are a wonderful touch, and I can’t help but want more. Mr. Anders has written a fine book. His style is a spot-on epic fantasy for middle-graders, with tons of humor, friendship, and adventure. I can’t wait for the next book, especially after that dang-blasted awesome cliffhanger that makes me both happy and angry! (happy that there will be another book, angry (or maybe sad) that I will have to wait)."

"Anders has beautifully written a fun and energetic middle grade book filled with many adventures.... The people that would enjoy this book are the people that have enjoyed books such as Magisterium by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black and The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. Because of the magic and adventures present in this book and the challenges that relate to the common struggles in life, I recommend this book to people that have read similar books. This book was a very good read and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book in this series, Nightborn."

"This is a fantasy adventure great for those who love games and historical fantasy. Karn and Thianna have to use cunning as well as Thianna’s battle skills to defeat their enemies, and both of them must confront their various prejudices – serious themes underlying battles against treachery, zombies, wyverns, and an ancient dragon. I have several young readers I’d be happy to give this one to, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series."

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Yesterday, I was the guest speaker at Wilkerson Middle School's Dream Big Read! brought about by the Birmingham American Federation of Teachers with books donated from First Book. The morning event was designed to celebrate the joy of reading--a very important thing--but I almost didn't make it. Last Sunday, I came down with a horrible case of the flu, and while I apologetically tried to bow out, the organizers begged me to come anyway--even if only for a quick 15 minute appearance. I didn't want to let people down, so despite reservations and ill-health, I agreed.
And I'm so glad I did.

Birmingham AFT President Richard Franklin introduced the Dream Big Read! event by telling the students that they had been selected for this program because they scored the best in their category, not just in Birmingham, but in the state. As I understand it, Wilkerson has repeatedly been named a Torchbearer school. This is a special honor, as Torchbearer schools must meet a host of demanding state and federal criteria, and, despite coming from a high poverty area of the city and dealing with the related disadvantages, the amazing students of Wilkerson have managed to beat the statistics and perform marvelously on state and national tests. Franklin's speech was on the importance of reading, not only on your own, but also with your family.

Through First Book, the kids--slightly over 300 students--were given book bags that contained a Percy Jackson hardcover, a Spider-Man book, an Avengers book, some others... But my own publisher Random House Children's Books, when they learned last week of my visit, kindly donated 300+ copies of the Frostbornarc, which they rushed to the school so that the students could begin reading ahead of my trip.

The result was that when I walked to the podium, I saw that every one of the students in the audience was holding the Frostborn arc! I had been nervous, because this is the first talk I've given without my Powerpoint presentation and the aid of all the fabulous artwork it contains in support of the Thrones & Bones series, so having an already-receptive audience helped overcome the lack of pictures. But I needn't have worried. The students were great -- really enthusiastic, fun, polite, and as bright as I'd heard. About a third of them had already begun reading the book too! Far from doing just the minimal 15 minutes, I went a good 30-40 minutes and the organizers even had to cut our Q&A off with a lot of hands still in the air when I ran out the clock.
Afterwards, a few kids asked me to sign their arcs, and when others saw I would do this, well, the teachers had to quickly organize a line. I signed most of 300 arcs, which was wonderful because I got another point of connection with Wilkerson's great students. A pleasure to meet them all. I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did.

I drove out on a rush of adrenaline. Which carried me through about lunchtime. After which, I was stupidly useless for the rest of the day! But I'm very glad I made the trip.

Many thanks to Terri Michal from Birmingham AFT, Birmingham AFT President Richard Franklin, and Wilkerson principal Ms. Trarsha L. Maddox, as well as the staff, students, and teachers of Wilkerson.

The publishers description of Nightborn,book two in the Thrones & Bones series, has gone live.

Publication Date:July 14, 2015| Age Level:8 - 12| Grade Level:3 - 7

From the author of Frostborn comes Book 2 in the acclaimed Thrones and Bones fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans of Lloyd Alexander and Brandon Mull.

Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. Not a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.

Meet Desstra. She’s in training to join the Underhand—the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.

Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

The novel includes instructions for playing the board game Charioteers. Visit ThronesandBones.com for additional games, maps, character profiles, and more!

Praise for Thrones and Bones: Frostborn:

“Future fans of Tolkien and George R. R. Martin can happily cut their serial-fantasy teeth on this first book of an eventual series.” —Kirkus Reviews

Thursday, December 04, 2014

"If you’re like me and are on the lookout for fast but enjoyable reads to squeeze into a busy schedule, look to Frostborn. Anders is a veteran of the fantasy genre and it shines through the first installment of Thrones and Bones. We’re given two young leads who are forced to confront their duties, fates, and families which intertwine after an ancient spell is broken. There is Karn, a reluctant heir to his family’s farm and avid board game player. There is Thianna, a half-human and half frost-giantess eager to prove herself to both humans and giants alike. The pair is as unlikely friends as they are heroes, but it is their differences that ultimately prove to be their greatest weapons."

"Karn is destined to take over the family farm in Norrongard. His only problem is he’d rather be playing the complex board game Thrones and Bones. Living in the mountains of this Nordic-like land is Thianna, half human, half frost giantess and unable to fit into either group. These two unlikely allies join forces to survive in the wilderness and fight off dragons, undead warriors and an evil uncle."

"Twelve-year-old Karn is a master gamer when it comes to playing Thrones and Bones. He’s not so good at striking hard bargains for the sake of his father’s tribe. If only there wasn’t so much pressure on him to be the next leader! Likewise, Thianna is a disappointment to her clan of ice giants, standing at only 7 feet tall, half the size of her peers. The two unlikely friends meet when their different tribes converge on an icy mountain for a tense round of trading. When unexpected enemies attack, they find themselves on the run, outracing wyverns and avoiding avalanches. Pulling on little-known Norse mythology, this brilliantly accessible fantasy really is for all those Percy Jackson fans clamoring for a new series."

Monday, December 01, 2014

The cover for Nightborn (Thrones and Bones 2)has just popped up on Amazon. Once again, the amazing Justin Gerard has outdone himself. I'm thrilled with the art, and so glad to be able to finally share it with the world. And yes, those are manticore pulling the chariots.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

I am a guest today on the 17th episode of Reality Bomb, a Doctor Who podcast. We discuss the

recent season finale and a host of related topics.

On the seventeenth episode of Reality Bomb we have another supersized episode featuring our final panel review of Series 8 that includes Lori Steuart, Jon Arnold and Children's Fantasy author Lou Anders (Thrones and Bones: Frostborn). We also have a conversation with Cat Smith and Lindsey Mayers about Missy / The Master. And Titan's Doctor Who tenth Doctor comic book writer Nick Abadzis tries (and possibly fails) to get The Twin Dilemma into the Gallery of the Underrated. All this plus Listeners' Letters, poltical attack ads you need to hear... and host Graeme Burk gets an offer he can't refuse!

"This novel has much to offer to a variety of readers. It can appeal to both boys and girls, since the point of view switches from Thianna to Karn equally. It’s also a great pick for kids who enjoy fantasy movies like The Hobbit and even Frozen. It is a great middle grade read for upper elementary and middle school students, but it would make an excellent read-aloud for kids who aren’t ready to tackle it on their own yet. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The characters display growth, courage, brains, and resourcefulness that I think kids will identify with and hopefully emulate. Also, the author, Lou Anders, is a Birmingham resident. I love to support local authors, especially when their books are so good!" Mollie McFarland, Springville Road Library

They comment (referencing a child I believe): "This is the first in an adventure-filled, Viking-inspired series. Amanda said that she appreciated that the story is told from two perspectives, one male and one female, and they are both equally well-rounded."

Friday, November 21, 2014

"Neither Karn nor Thianna, the two heroes of Thrones and Bones: Frostborn (Crown, $16.99), really fits into their world. Karn is a merchant’s son who would rather be playing his favorite board game than learning how to haggle. Thianna is a half-giantess who is mocked by her peers for her comparatively short stature. When their paths cross at the annual market of the humans and the giants, however, they start to recognize their strengths. That is, when they aren’t on the run, trying to survive duplicitous uncles, clever dragons, undead kings, and even fouler beasts. They make an unlikely duo, but author Lou Anders makes them, and their world of trolls and wyverns, gripping and emotionally resonant. Ages 9-13. ENR"

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Alexksandra writes: "The first Thrones & Bones book Frostbornwas absolutely amazing, and one of my fav & best reads in 2014, and can't wait for more! No cover yet, but at least there's a title, and sounds awesome!"

Monday, November 17, 2014

This past weekend, I was at Windycon 41, where it was my privilege to be the Editor Guest of Honor. no longer an editor.
I've enjoyed being the EGoH at quite a few cons over the last ten years, but Windycon will always have a special place as it marks the very nearly, almost certainly, surely absolutely last time I get to be a guest of a convention in this capacity, as I am

The convention was held at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois. I arrived Thursday night, just in time for the guest reception dinner, then Stephenson--a dear friend that I haven't seen in five years, and who came from Los Angeles just to hang out--and I braved a brisk walk in the 27 degree weather to visit Beer House, where we sampled several varieties of brown ales and stouts.

The next morning, Stephenson and I headed into downtown Chicago for a visit to David Bowie Is, an amazing retrospective of my favorite musician's life and work, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The exhibit was phenomenal, both for me as a huge Bowie fan and for Stephenson who is not. We came out of it with a real sense of how much drive the man has and how incredibly hard he works on everything that he takes on board, from acting to recording to costume and set design to artwork. Really an incredible show. Highlights for me was seeing a clip from his critically acclaimed run on Broadway in The Elephant Man, to seeing the Verbalizer (the software program he co-developed to aid and inspire writing lyrics) at work. Very moving morning for me, personally that I am grateful I was able to see.

Then, after a great lunch at Doc B's Fresh Kitchen, it was time to return to Lombard for the first panel of the convention. Fairy Tales for Children and Adults was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the comments from A. Lee Martinez on the panel and Gene Wolfe in the audience. Thanks to Rachel Neumeier for moderating!

Friday night we met up with three very dear friends, Eric Frederickson, Jill Frederickson, and Dave Roberson. I haven't seen any of them in eleven years, but we picked it up like no time past.

Saturday morning I did a Frostborn presentation (hi Wink! hi Dean!), then demonstrated the Thrones and Bones board game in the Gaming room. Here, Dave Roberson shows what a real Viking should look like when playing this game. Thanks to him and Eric Frederickson for help, and to Dean Kastle for a challenging game.

Then I visited Kid's Programming for a Kookieklatch, where I gave my Frostborn presentation to a group of enthusiastic kids (and a few adults). Then we all make Viking faces. (Thanks to Jim C. Hines for the photo!)

That evening a large group went to Greek Islands for a dinner organized by Mike Resnick, then I spent some time catching up with Tim Akers and his wife Jen, who had driven up not for the con but (kindly) just to see me. Then more time with old friends (though I didn't get enough time with Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch, sadly, who were just coming out when I was turning in).

Overall, Windycon 41 was a fun time made funner by friends old and new. Thanks very much to all the staff and volunteers, including but not limited to Deb Kosiba (Chair), Lisa Ragsdale (Children's Programming), Debbie Landmann, Rachel Landmann, Richard France, Cait Rupp, and Johnny Haberland (Guest Liaisons), Pat Sayre McCoy (Programming), and everyone I didn't meet but who worked hard to make it a successful and enjoyable con!

In this episode we talk for the second time to Lou Anders, former editor at Pyr Books during an award-winning career and author of Frostborn,the first book in the middle grade fantasy series Thrones & Bones. We talk about what it’s like to transition from editor to author, how Lou’s somehow managed to get even busier in his new career, and why Kermit the Frog serves as an inspiration…even in Norway! We really enjoyed chatting with Lou again, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Tomorrow, I am heading to Lombard, Illinois for WindyCon 41, where I am the Editor Guest of

Honor. This will be a bit of a special convention for me, as I am no longer an editor! So this is most probably, pretty definitely, nearly absolutely the last time I get to be that type of a GoH!

For those attending WindyCon, here is my schedule:

Friday

3:00 PMFairy Tales for Children and Adults
Same or different? Should they be? How do they serve different audiences.
L. Anders, T. Bogolub, A.L. Martinez, R. Neumeier (M), F. Salvatini,
J. Stockman
Lilac A - 90 min.

6:00 PMGuest Reception
The Guests of Honor are invited to gather in the green room for light refreshments before heading over to Opening Ceremonies.
Green Room - 1 hour

7:00 PMOpening Ceremonies
Don’t miss out on this rare chance to see all of our Guests together in one room! Join us as we kick off the convention weekend!
Junior Ballroom BC - 1 hour

Saturday

10:00 a.m. Frostborn: Art and Writing
GoH Lou Anders introduces the experience that is Frostborn--a book, a board game, and, of course, the art. Lou's viking-inspired creation is heavily illustrated, and Lou will be giving Windycon a behind-the-scenes preview of the art and writing of his new adventure series. This first book of the "Thrones & Bones" series will appeal to fans of Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, and Lloyd Alexander.
L. Anders
Grand Ballroom GH - 1 hour

2:00 PMThrones & Bones Board Game Demo
Lou Anders' fantasy adventure series Thrones & Bones takes its name from a board game that appears in the first book, Frostborn.Come learn about and play the actual Thrones & Bones game that appears in the novel. Loosely based on ancient Scandinavian board games, Thrones & Bones is a strategy game with a fantasy twist.
L. Anders
Gaming - 1 hour

2:00 PMClosing Ceremonies
This is your last chance to see all of our amazing guests. The party award winners will be announced, and you will find out what we have in store for you next year!
Junior Ballroom BC - 1 hour

Frostborn

Thrones and Bones

About Me

Lou Anders is the author of the Thrones and Bones series, a middle grade fantasy adventure that begins with the novel Frostborn, published by Random House’s Crown Books for Young Readers. He is a Hugo award winning editor and a Chesley Award winning art director, with six additional Hugo nominations, six additional Chesley nominations, three World Fantasy award nominations, a Shirley Jackson award nomination and a Philip K. Dick award nominations. For ten years, he served as the editorial director of Pyr books. Additionally, he is the editor of nine anthologies, including Swords & Dark Magic (Eos, 2010, with Jonathan Strahan), and Masked (Gallery Books, 2010). He is the author of The Making of Star Trek: First Contact (Titan Books, 1996), and has published over 500 articles in such magazines as The Believer, Publishers Weekly, Dreamwatch, DeathRay, Star Trek Monthly, Star Wars Monthly, Babylon 5 Magazine, Sci Fi Universe, Doctor Who Magazine, and Manga Max. His articles and stories have been translated into Russian, Spanish, Danish, Greek, German, Italian & French.